Chapter IX

[A] Wel gay wat3 þis gome gered in grene,
180 & þe here of his hed of his hors swete;
Fayre fannand fax vmbe-foldes his schulderes;
[B] A much berd as[1] a busk ouer his brest henges,
Þat wyth his hi3lich here, þat of his hed reches,
184 Wat3 euesed al vmbe-torne, a-bof his elbowes,
Þat half his armes þer vnder were halched in þe wyse
Of a kynge3 capados, þat closes his swyre.
[C] Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,
188 Wel cresped & cemmed wyth knottes ful mony,
Folden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,
Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde;
[D] Þe tayl & his toppyng twynnen of a sute,
192 & bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene,
Dubbed wyth ful dere stone3, as þe dok lasted,
Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,
Þer mony belle3 ful bry3t of brende golde rungen.
196 [E] Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes,
Wat3 neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme,
with y3e;
He loked as layt so ly3t,
200 So sayd al þat hym sy3e,
[F] Hit semed as no mon my3t,
Vnder his dyntte3 dry3e.

[Sidenote A: Gaily was the knight attired.] [Sidenote B: His great beard, like a bush, hung on his breast.] [Sidenote C: The horse's mane was decked with golden threads.] [Sidenote D: Its tail was bound with a green band.] [Sidenote E: Such a foal nor a knight were never before seen.] [Sidenote F: It seemed that no man might endure his dints.] [Footnote 1: as as, in MS.]